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Another zero day that wasn’t really a zero day. I rode my bike at least 17 miles and hiked up a mountain.

My wife and I have been coming to Keene Valley, NY for a week long vacation most summers for 30 years. Her mother and stepfather owned a house on Little Porter Mountain near the town of Keene Valley. After my wife and I had children, we would come up and meet my wife’s two sister’s families and all the cousins could see each other. I have many treasured memories of the time we spent together up in the Adirondacks. So when I rode my bike across the country, I wanted it to be on my route.

Riding through the town of Keene Valley, I stopped at all the places that we used to frequent. Marcy Field, the grass strip air field where the Sunday morning Farmers Market happens. McDonough’s Hardware, where surprisingly they would almost always have what you need. The Mountaineer, a solid outdoor adventure store that always had the latest equipment and hip outdoor fashions. The Valley Grocery, where you might of thought you’d paid too much but they had a great selection and you didn’t have to drive another half hour to get it. The Ausable Inn, where you could get the upstate New York tavern experience. The Keene Valley Country Club, a very modest affair that was centered around clay court tennis and a swimming pool that was cool all summer. The Birch Store, where the items were calculatingly curated for the ladies. And everyone’s favorite for down home meals and soft serve ice cream, the Noonmark Diner.

I went into Keene Fitness and asked if I could lock my bike up to their bike rack out front while I hiked up Hopkins mountain. They were kind enough to let me do that and store a bag I didn’t need to carry.

I brought lunch to the top of Hopkins and ate while cherishing the view. I could pick out quite a few mountains, Giant, Dix, Round, Noonmark, Dial, Colvin, Saw Teeth, Gothics and Mount Marcy peeking over the Great Range.

I warmed my feet by the fire while eating breakfast.

I found a business in Tupper Lake that had an intriguing business model. Washboard Donut is a laundromat/donut shop/gift shop. I had to stop. While they weren’t the best donuts I have ever had, they were solid and novel. Fresh cake donuts with a schmear of your choice of icing and your choice of something sprinkled on top.

I picked up my third headlamp of the trip in Saranac Lake. I guess I’m hard on headlamps.

I stopped and ate my lunch outside of Nori’s Natural Foods Grocery before picking up the new Adirondack Rail Trail. That would take me all the way to Lake Placid. It was an excellent rail trail.

When I passed the trail head to Cascade, I really wanted to hike up to the top.

Riding past Cascade Lakes on Route 73 was sweet.

Once I got to Keene, it was a good climb to get to my Warmshowers hosts, Jon and Tanya. Jon is a stone mason and Tanya is a teacher. They live with their daughter Zoe in a home they built themselves near Keene, New York. Even though I arrived during the work week and they lead busy lives, they made time to host me two nights so I could spend a day off the bike visiting the Eastern Side of the Adirondacks that I had spent many summer vacations visiting in the past. I was very thankful for that opportunity.

It seems like the farther I get into this tour the harder it is for me to get on the road in the early morning. I guess the days are getting shorter but I don’t think that is the whole story.

I made it to Old Forge, I have never been there before. I have been to the Adirondacks many times but this was my first time seeing the Western edge of them. It seemed less developed, the towns were more like oases in the wilderness.

I stopped at Blue Line Coffee House and was enjoying a cup of coffee and a piece of crumb cake sitting in the sun at their bar top front window when a monster fifth wheel pulled up out front eclipsing the light coming in through the open window. It was hard to not be resentful. Namaste.

I asked the guy in the picture below “How long till you will need to come back to wreck the dam again? I can’t remember what he said.

I stopped in Long Lake at Hoss’s Country store and noticed they had a White Pine growing right through the roof! Apparently when they expanded the store this tree was in the way and chose to build around it instead of taking it down. The ice cream at “The Park” across the street is top notch.

I rode past ponds and lakes all day. White Lake, Otter Lake, Old Forge Pond, First lake, Second Lake, Third Lake, Fourth Lake, Fifth Lake, Six Lake, Seventh Lake, Eighth Lake, Raquette Lake, Utowanna Lake, Eagle Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Minnow Pond, South Pond and Long Lake. And now I was arriving at John Dillion Campground on Grampus Lake.

The Campground is the combined effort of Paul Smith’s College and International Paper. I am imagining most of the funding was from International Paper and Paul Smith’s runs the Campground. When I called asking how much it was for a campsite I was shocked when they said it was free! Donations are accepted. They had space in one of their Adirondack shelters, I was stoked.

The Campground was really well designed. It seemed like they really made an effort to make it accessible to all. There were wide gravel paths that a wheelchair could navigate, ramps up into the shelters, carts you could borrow to haul stuff to the shelters, there was an ADA compliant pit toilet, free stacked firewood next to the fire ring and they offered charging for electric wheelchairs. It made me happy to see all this.

I had imagined that I would have had many incredible night skies on this trip, but so far they were few and far between. Probably because I was dead tired every night and the nights were short. Now that the nights were getting longer, I was excited to have a clear night in the dark skies of the Adirondacks. 

I said farewell to Lisa and Brian, my Warm Showers hosts and headed down the road. They had said that Chittenango Falls, just down the road, probably wouldn’t be very spectacular because the water was low. But last night’s rain had filled the creek and it was roaring.

I was back on the Erie Canal Trail for another 25 sublime miles today.

I heard back from a Warmshowers host in White Lake, New York that they could host me tonight. It was going to make for a long day, 70 hilly miles but it is always nice to peddle towards a shower and a bed. Then when the hills started in earnest, North of Rome, I ran into trouble. There were two bridges on my route being replaced and there were detours for both. In a car, the extra 9 miles of hills the detours created for me would not have meant much but on a loaded touring bike, on an already long day, it nearly broke me. Some of the roads were gravel that were slower, scenic and with low traffic. And some of the roads were paved, 50 mph with a lot of traffic, including many trucks. They were probably scenic too but I couldn’t look around to see if they were.

Today was the day I entered the Adirondack Park. It is a special place.

“In 1892, the state of New York made history by creating the Adirondack Park. At about six million acres, the Park is roughly the size of Vermont and the largest protected area in the lower 48 states. It is also unique in that the New York State Constitution contains protections for the Adirondacks, and it is one of the few constitutionally protected areas in the world.” adirondackcouncil.org

My Warmshowers host Alan had some company, they were going to a restaurant in town for dinner and asked if I would come along. Alan and his guests were wonderful folks that I enjoyed being with. I was sorry I didn’t get the chance to meet Alan’s wife Louise, she was back at their home nursing a knee injury. Their Adirondack camp reminded me very much of the vacation homes I have stayed in visiting my mother in law and my step father in law. Alan told me that their camp used to be the dining hall of a church summer camp. It was a nice cool Adirondack night, perfect for a good night’s sleep.

Thank you Alan and Louise for hosting me so graciously.

I was still riding through some picturesque countryside but the hills were not as daunting today. It was helpful to have the routing advice of Lisa, one of my Warmshowers hosts tonight.

I was looking for a park to eat my lunch in the town of Deruyter when a guy flagged me down. My memory is fuzzy on his name, Bruce maybe, but he had taken a cross country bicycle tour with his daughter so we communed over bike touring stories. Then he gave me five bucks and told me to get some ice cream on the way out of town at the Drift-In.

Not having found a park to eat lunch in, I asked if I could eat lunch at one of the picnic tables outside of the Drift-In and got some Ice cream afterwards.

I arrived at Lisa and Brian’s (Warmshowers hosts) shortly before it started to rain. Lisa had a cold drink and snacks ready for my arrival. I was so appreciative of their hospitality and not having to camp in the rain.

Lisa is an executive coach and Brian works in advertising. They are both avid cyclists. We talked about touring, triathlons, work and kids. And later we enjoyed home made pizza with tomatoes from Lisa’s garden. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them. Thank you for hosting me Lisa and Brian.

Since I have been waking up at five most mornings on tour and it was Saturday and my son would sleep till 10:00, I did the unthinkable and got on my bike and rode to town. This meant hills! But I tried not to think about that too much.

I rode through Cornell’s campus on the way to the Green Star Food Co-op. I picked up a few things at the co-op and headed to the Ithaca Farmers Market. The Farmers Market was sweet. The market is under a permanent structure and the vendors were all dynamite.

On my way back up the hill through the cemetery I noticed a marker on google maps that said Carl Sagan’s resting place so I made a point to stop. It looked like he gets many visitors.

When my son was ready to roll, we walked through campus and down to the Cascadilla Falls trail. Unfortunately only part of it was open. But we did get to see some of the falls and then we went out for lunch in town.

We ended the day like college students by ordering pizza and playing Magic. As usual he won.

The scenery in finger lakes of New York is phenomenal but the roads I was riding on were not that bicycle friendly. No shoulder in most places, high speed limits, high traffic volume, a good many trucks, twisting roads and a ton of steep climbing made it seem like a long day of riding. 4,298 feet of elevation gain in 51.1 miles!

I was very excited about two things today to visit Watkins Glen State Park and to see my youngest son in Ithaca where he had just moved to pursue a PhD in Mathematics.

I don’t think I have ever been to Watkins Glen. I remember seeing pictures in some family photo albums but it must of been before my time.

Watkins Glen was stellar. It was a bit crowded but the beautiful cascades, falls and water carved rock made up for that. And the way the path was built winding along the creek and crossing on stone bridges through the gorge was remarkable.

After hiking Watkins Glen, I ate lunch, leftovers from the dinner I made last night, and then stopped for ice cream before heading to the nearby town of Montour Falls. It had more waterfalls. The only one that I thought worth sharing with you was Eagle Cliff Falls. I thought it was cool the way the velocity of the water going over the falls made it arc away from the cliff. And there were only a few folks there.

Did I mention how the Finger lakes region has gratuitous hillage? I was whooped by the time I got to Ithaca. But then I realized there was another climb to get to my son’s apartment. I stopped at a bakery for an espresso and a croissant.

It was a good climb that went through an old cemetery. I was imagining it was full of all the people who tried to ride up this hill.

Finally I made it to my son Leif’s apartment. I would stay with him two nights so I could have a whole day to visit with him. The timing could not have been better, it was Friday and he started Class next Tuesday.

I knew it was going to be a long day on the road. I had a Warmshowers host lined up but it was over 75 miles away, over hills and a good bit of it on trails which would slow me. I must of been concentrating on covering the miles because the first picture I took on the road was 33 miles into the ride.

When I saw the old enameled steel Acme storefront on the Main Street in Canandaigua, NY, I was in awe. It was in such good condition, the colors and font of the sign, it was magnificent. I thought it was interesting that the storefront said “Self Serve” in the upper left corner. I remembered reading somewhere about how the market keeper used to get everything down from the shelves for you. It must of been a fairly new thing to be able to select your own groceries back in 1942 when it opened. It made me think about future generations not understanding a storefront grocery store and a kid saying “You mean you used to have to go to the grocery store?”

My Warm Showers hosts weren’t home and gave me the code to access there house. Knowing they wouldn’t be there and I would have access to a full kitchen. I stopped at an Amish produce stand. While I was there, the Amish family seemed interested in what I was doing And started asking me questions about my trip. Then one of them told me that her parents bike tour! They had just talked to them on the phone. They were on tour and in Bar Harbor, Maine (where I will finish my tour). They were taking a ferry to nova Scotia to continue their tour. The daughter told me if I left my name and address, that I might get a copy of one of her parents books they write about each tour they take. I hope I find one in the mail sometime soon.

I realized that I miss cooking. I have done some cooking on the tour, but it was really nice to make a meal in a real kitchen.

I am sorry I didn’t get to meet my hosts, I am sure I would’ve really liked them. I could see their love of adventure and each other in their home. I did get to talk to Karen on the phone and she told me where to find their photo album of their cross country tour from Oregon to Florida. They rode on a tandem bicycle! My wife and I ride tandem, but it is another level to bike tour across the country on a tandem. Thank you Karen and Tom for hosting me in your lovely home.

Last night after dark, a couple young guys walked up to the picnic shelter where I had set up my tent. They didn’t notice I was there till I said hello. I think they were just looking for a place to hang out and smoke. They asked if I minded if they hung out for a bit. I was a little uneasy but it’s a public place so I said yes. They asked some questions about my tour and I asked some questions about what they were all about. Somewhere in the conversation it was revealed that one of them had been released from jail recently. I can’t say I didn’t think about where my bear spray was but we kept talking and eventually they moved on. They seemed like they were not a threat but I did sleep with my bear spray close at hand.

The road bridges across the Erie Canal were cool! They were lift bridges and had a set of stairs on each side so when the bridge was up people could still walk across the bridge.

Had a great cup of coffee and a pastry in Medina at the Coffee Pot Cafe. Really nice owners that also own the town’s bakery.

I met Jim right outside of the cafe. He was on a bike tour also. He was riding from his home in New Jersey across New York and back home through Pennsylvania. He had a tubeless tire that had lost its seal to the rim. He had a tube to go in the tire but had forgotten to bring tire levers to get the tire back on the rim so he could get back on the trail. I had what he needed and was glad to dig them out so he could get going again. We really hit it off. He was from Ridgewood, New Jersey and was surprised when I told him I was born there. We would ride together for a while when he caught up with me later and we have stayed in touch. Thanks Jim for making me feel useful and prepared.

I came to this interesting spot on the canal where there was a stream that went under it and a road bridge went over it (video below). Building the canal took some tricky engineering in places.

I saw a good number of boats in the canal today and they were diverse in kind.

I stopped and picked up a sandwich for lunch in the canal town of Albion. They had a picnic table under a pavilion right next to the canal so I posted up there to eat. It wasn’t long and this young guy came along and asked if he could share the shelter. He seemed like he might not have a home currently. And after talking to him he told me that was the case. He seemed like a good kid. Then another guy came in the shelter and sat down behind me. I started talking to him and shifted my seat so I could see both of them. They knew each other. It was daylight but I was a little uneasy again in less than 24 hours. But after talking with them for a while I was more comfortable. The older guy was a Marine Vet that had served in Iraq. By the time I finished lunch and was packed up, we were friends. I gave them a link to my blog and then the older guy got up and I thought he was going to shake my hand but he gave me a hug. Then the younger guy got up and gave me a hug. I felt humbled that I didn’t trust them from the start.

I rode on along the Erie Canal to Rochester. I had a non Warmshowers host lined up. My good friend from high school, Kellie lives in Rochester and I have never been to visit her and her family there. Riding through her neighborhood’s streets I felt like a kid riding their bike to visit a friend. Her house is gorgeous. Kellie has a designer’s eye and can roll up her sleeves and get a home renovation project done.

I had met her husband Greg but had never spent time getting to know him. I enjoyed getting to know him, he is a great guy. Their son Gram was home but leaving to start his sophomore year studying music at SUNY Purchase in a couple days. I was lucky enough to hear him noodling around on his instrument, the piano. He is brilliant.

I felt like part of the family when they included me in dinner while we watched an episode of Andor. I miss being around family and it helped. Thanks for hosting me!

I packed up the bike early so I could go down to Niagara Falls before meeting my friend Petr for lunch. I was very lucky to be at the falls on a weekday pretty early in the morning because there weren’t many people there. If you ever go to visit Niagara Falls, go early in the day, mid week on the Canadian side. It definitely has better views of the falls. I never realized Niagara Falls are really three falls.The largest one is Horseshoe Falls also known as the Canadian falls, then there is the American Falls, and the third is Bridal Veil falls.

I was thinking Niagara Falls might be disappointing with all the commercial development around it. I had been there once before and had just glimpsed the falls while driving over the Rainbow Bridge. But getting to experience the falls close up from the Canadian side was moving and I came away feeling that it is a fantastic natural wonder. I think the close up video of Horseshoe falls below captures some of its impressive majesty. Shortly after I took the video, I saw a double crested cormorant floating on the river go over the falls and nonchalantly take flight. I wondered how many times he did that trick in the past.

I met my friend Petr in the Adirondacks back in 2017 or. I was there with my wife Beth for the Adirondack Mountain club’s Winter mountaineering school. Petr was taking the same course and we became fast friends. We haven’t seen each other since then but have kept in touch. He is an accomplished amateur photographer, loves outdoor adventures and does very meaningful work for Canada’s oldest nonprofit organization. It is a co-op that works to affordability house low income Canadians. He had just gotten back from being away the day before and drove to meet me and brought a picnic lunch for us. It was terrific to visit with him. Thank you Petr for making time to meet up.

Before I got out of Niagara Falls, New York, I found myself stopping at, you guessed it, a bakery. It was Di Camilla’s Bakery and I may have had the best donut in my life. I need to go back someday and make sure it wasn’t the bike touring hunger making me think that.

Shortly I had linked up with the Erie Canal Trail. When I first started on it, I was on a section that they must of just resurfaced with crushed limestone. It was really hard going for me on a loaded touring bike, like riding through a couple inches of sand. But after a mile or three it changed to a more compacted surface.

The towns along the Erie Canal are port towns and many reflected it in their names. I went through Lockport and Gasport before coming to Middleport where I camped for the night. A lot of the towns along the Erie Canal had little parks/marinas where bicyclists and folks transiting the canal by boat could camp. Middleport had a nice picnic shelter and there were bathrooms and showers available close by.